Practice putting apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus and method to enable practicing of a putting stroke on an actual green surface. A putting cup post is positioned upright in the putting cup, and a stabilizing post is put into the green surface so as to be upstanding therefrom adjacent to a putting location. An alignment cord is extended from an upper end of the stabilizing post to the upper end of the putting cup post, and an alignment cord is extended between the two posts. For a breaking putt, an alignment post is positioned to provide an initial alignment section of the cord that is aligned with the initial path of travel of the ball from the putting location along the intended putting path. The ball is placed at a putting location near the stabilizing post, and the golfer uses proper putting techniques to strike the ball, using the initial portion of the alignment cord to putt the ball in the proper direction.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A method of practicing a putting stroke on a putting area where there is a putting surface and a putting cup location, said method comprising: a. placing a putting cup post in a position to extend upwardly from the putting cup location;   b. positioning a stabilizing post on said putting surface at a location spaced from said putting cup location to extend upwardly above said putting surface;   c. positioning an alignment cord extending from said stabilizing post to said putting cup post in a manner that said cord is positioned above said putting surface, and at least an initial alignment portion of said cord is at a putting location, and is aligned with a target line which coincides with an initial portion of an intended putting line which extends from said putting location to said putting cup location;   d. placing a golf ball beneath said cord at said putting location; and   e. executing a putting stroke to putt the ball from the putting location at least initially along the target line, visually utilizing the initial portion of the cord for alignment of the putting stroke.   
     
     
       2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a portion of the putting surface along said intended putting path is horizontally aligned relative to transverse alignment components along the length of the intended putting line, so that said intended putting line is a substantially straight putting line, and said cord is positioned to extend in a straight line from said putting location to said putting cup location. 
     
     
       3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the putting surface has a lateral slant relative to the intended putting line so that the intended putting line curves from the ball location toward the cup in a direction of downward lateral slant, and said cord is aligned so as to have an initial cord portion at the putting location aligned with the intended putting line at the putting location. 
     
     
       4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein an alignment post is positioned on said putting surface at a target location positioned laterally of said putting line, and said initial cord portion extends from said putting location toward said alignment post. 
     
     
       5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said alignment post has at an upper portion thereof above the putting surface an alignment cord engaging portion, and said alignment cord is engaged with said cord engaging portion to properly position said cord above the putting surface. 
     
     
       6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein each of said putting cup post, said stabilizing post and said alignment post has a lower mounting portion to position each of said posts at a pre-determined height above the putting surface, each of said posts having at an upper end thereof an alignment cord engaging means, said method further comprising extending said cord from each of said alignment cord engaging means of the three posts so that said alignment cord is at a proper pre-determined position above said putting surface. 
     
     
       7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein at least one of said stabilizing post and said alignment post has at a lower end thereof a spike means arranged to extend into ground strata at the putting surface. 
     
     
       8. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising selecting distance of the alignment post from the putting location so that a portion of the alignment cord extending from the alignment post to the putting cup post has a predetermined alignment relationship with a latter portion of a path of travel of the ball, whereby a person executing the stroke is able to correlate both an initial alignment portion of the alignment cord and a later portion of the alignment cord with the path of travel of the ball toward the putting cup location. 
     
     
       9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said alignment cord is initially wound on said stabilizing post at a winding location positioned on said stabilizing post, said cord extending from said stabilizing post at a predetermined distance above said putting surface to permit adequate vertical spacing for execution of a putting stroke. 
     
     
       10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said stabilizing post has at an upper end thereof a notch means to engage said alignment cord so as to retain said alignment cord at a fixed location on said stabilizing post. 
     
     
       11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising locating a target zone accessory means at said putting cup location, where said target zone accessory means comprises a planar sheet material having a central portion surrounding said putting cup location and a plurality of radially and outwardly extending arm portions, with ends of each arm portion having putting surface securing means to properly spread said accessory over said putting surface and around said putting location. 
     
     
       12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the putting surface has a lateral slant relative to the intended putting line so that the intended putting line curves from the ball location toward the cup in a direction of downward lateral slant, said method further comprising: a. ascertaining a proposed intended putting line, and also a proposed target line which coincides with the initial portion of the proposed intended putting line;   b. positioning an alignment post at a target location spaced from said putting location toward said putting cup location, so that the alignment post is aligned with the intended target line;   c. locating the alignment cord so that the alignment cord extends above the putting surface from the stabilizing post to the alignment post, and from the alignment post to the putting cup post;   d. then executing the putting stroke to putt the ball initially along the target line;   e. in a situation where the ball after the executing of the putting stroke travels along a course out of alignment with the putting cup location, adjusting the position of the alignment post to correct the intended putting line.   
     
     
       13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising adjusting distance of the alignment post from the putting location so that a portion of the alignment cord extending from the alignment post to the putting cup post has a predetermined alignment relationship with a latter portion of a path of travel of the ball, whereby a person executing the stroke is able to correlate both an initial alignment portion of the alignment cord and a later portion of the alignment cord with the path of travel of the ball toward the putting cup location. 
     
     
       14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the putting surface has a lateral slant relative to the intended putting line so that the intended putting line curves from the ball location toward the cup in a direction of downward lateral slant, said method further comprising positioning a first alignment post at a location spaced from said ball location in alignment with said target line, then placing a second alignment post at a location intermediate said first alignment post and said putting cup post, and then extending said alignment cord from said stabilizing post to the first alignment post, thence to the second alignment post, and thence to the putting cup post to provide three alignment cord sections having an alignment relationship to the intended putting line. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus for practicing a putting stroke at a putting area where there is a putting surface and a putting cup location, said apparatus comprising: a. a putting cup post having a base adapted to snugly fit in the socket in the bottom of a putting cup for enabling same to extend vertically upward from said putting cup location;   b. a stabilizing post adapted to be supported on said putting surface at a location spaced from said putting cup location to extend upwardly above said green surface;   c. an alignment cord arranged to be extended from said stabilizing post to said putting cup post in a manner that said cord is positioned above said putting position;   d. an alignment post adapted to be supported to extend upwardly from said putting surface and to be placed at an alignment location defining with said stabilizing post an initial alignment reference line which coincides with an initial portion of an intended putting line.   
     
     
       16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said stabilizing post has at an upper portion thereof a cord retaining portion defining a winding area extending around said stabilizing post with said alignment cord being able to be wound around said winding area. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said putting cup post has at a lower end thereof mounting means to interfit with a putting cup to position the putting cup post in an upright position from said putting cup. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein each of said putting cup posts, said stabilizing posts, and said alignment posts have an alignment cord engaging means, with each of the alignment cord engaging means being positioned along a lengthwise location of its related posts to be positioned a pre-determined desired distance above said putting surface. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein each of said alignment post and said stabilizing post have a spike means at a lower end thereof, with said spike means being adapted to be pushed into a ground surface below the putting surface, each of said stabilizing post and said alignment post have flange means presenting a downward facing locating surface adapted to engage the putting surface and properly locate its related post. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, further comprising target zone accessory means, where said target zone accessory means comprises a planar sheet material having a central portion adapted to surround said putting cup location and a plurality of radially and outwardly extending arm portions, with ends of each arm portion having putting surface securing means to properly spread said accessory over said putting surface and around said putting location.